The skinny:

It’s possible that over the past several weeks you’ve noticed the reviews slow to a trickle around these parts. We had our reasons! Cookies weren’t involved! Okay, maybe they were! All of us at Tripwire HQ are pleased to introduce to you today a new chapter in our “take” on music criticism—by handing over the keys. Starting this week and every Tuesday hereafter, we’ll be posting a full album stream through our friends over at LaLa. What we’d like you to do is lend us your brainwaves and tweet whatever crosses your mind while listening. Maybe there’s a riff you can’t get out of your head. A lyric? A moment? An image? If you’re feeling ambitious, spend your 124 characters reviewing the record as a whole. Just toss those tweets over to us at @thetripwire and by the end of the week, we’ll cobble together and share the beautiful mess of a madlib it creates. Or, if you’re a complete Luddite/TwitterHater, you can just leave a review in the comments section. We’re flexible. You’re the boss now.

This week’s album is Julian Casablancas’ Phrazes For the Young, the Strokes frontman’s first solo adventure.

A lot of people on the Internet are poking fun at the way Jules moved last night while performing “11th Dimension” for the nation on the Tonight Show. Not that bad! We’ll admit that the vocals are pretty brittle throughout, but look at the symmetry sandwiching that mammoth vocal hook: two sets of keys, two guitars (could be another hidden in the back) and two drumkits. This, is a dude that thinks shit though often enough. Let him be free!

The bright side of this brief quote from Strokes’ singer Julian Casablancas is that it means several new Strokes songs are somewhere near finished. So there’s that! “There is a disagreement as to whether the songs are ready,” Casablancas told The Sun. “Some of the band think they are and others don’t. I’m somewhere in the middle.” The whole L.A. residency, New York houses, solo touring gigs can’t make the resolution to that all that timely either. “The problem is getting us together,” he said. “We’re scattered everywhere, and apart from when we’re rehearsing we don’t see each other. We’re not like people who go to the movies together.” But hey, at least this delayed album dilemna seems less overbearing than say, a yearlong sentence due to gun charges. (Via: NME)

By now you’re very much aware that frontStroke Julian Casablancas is getting into the solo album racket. You’ve probably also enjoyed the many melodic curves and turns of that album’s synthtastic early listen, “11th Dimension.” Casablancas will be bestowing further riches in the coming weeks by finally releasing Phrazes for the Young (November 2nd in the UK; November 3rd in the States) and spending the month of November in residence at LA’s Downtown Palace Theater. Every Friday of next month he’ll be performing solo cuts which, considering how wildly what we’ve heard has differed so far, may be nothing like the weirdly operatic and newly streaming “River of Brakelights” above. Surprises! Again, just to be clear, if you don’t live anywhere near LA, you won’t be as rich as someone who does. No word yet on a full tour, though hopefully the recording of the next Strokes full-length might get in the way of all that. It was a close call.

Oh I’m sorry, does that not sound like fun to you? Does that seem a little weird? Loosen up, maaaan! Mr. Casablancas has just made “11th Dimension” available for streaming on his MySpace page. It sounds like a synthy Strokes workout video as hosted by Bach. That is a good thing. There are web rumors circulating this week that Albert Hammond has gone a bit off the rails recently, a rock star detour that may or may not put the brakes on the current recording of the next Strokes full-length. We’ll see. If half of Phrazes for the Young is as good as this is, the extended wait’s not going to matter much at all.

Quick recap. Above is the cover art for Julian Casablanca’s forthcoming solo record, Phrazes for the Young. Below is adequate video documentation of Mr. Casablancas performing making his first solo debut, cutting rugs as part of an exclusive party for the unveiling of the Opening Ceremony store in Tokyo. More awkward than you would expect, but weirdly awesome nonetheless.

Our man JC has announced through his website that he’ll be playing his first solo show on August 31st at Tokyo’s Duo Music Exchange. Casablancas will be joined by a 6-piece band, playing material from the new album. The show is already sold out! But let’s all wait and feast our eyes and ears upon the good ol’ photo/video evidence to surface shortly after.

Over the next four minutes, you will see Julian Casablancas, lead singer and final member to go side-projectile from The Strokes, talk about stuff—his new solo album named Phrazes For The Young, The new Strokes album, his favorite new bands, his favorite song, his favorite Pilates instructor, his favorite vestmaker, his favorite type of peanut butter, his favorite ore, his favorite Picasso period etc etc—for the first time in three years. You will also hear snippets from said new album, which sounds like The Strokes made by one guy on many instruments. Don’t act like you’re not excited! (via A Modern Age via The Daily Swarm)

The Strokes‘ front man, Julian Casablancas recently told NME that following the release of his debut solo album, “Phrazes For The Young”, he hopes to stage some larger-than-life shows. Larger-than-life in this case might be more easily understood as completely and totally insane.

Not Disney, but you know how they have some amazing rides where you feel like you’re in a weird world, like the Epcot Centre or something? I’m not thinking of the big Goofy costume but I was thinking of how those rides make you feel with lots of set changes and stuff. But that might not happen and we’ll do straight shows, I haven’t quite figured it out yet, it’s the next thing to do.

Bibbity boppity boo.

The Strokes’ front man, Julian Casablancas is set to release his debut solo album this fall on Cult Records/RCA. Entitled Phrazes For The Young,  the album was produced by Jason Lader with additional production from Bright Eyes‘ Mike Mogis. By the looks of this trailer, it’s most likely going to be ridiculously awesome. (Via NME)

The first time we were tipped off to the Danger Mouse and Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse collaboration, it came via a poster. This time it’s coming from across the pond.

As we told you, Danger Mouse and Linkous have written a 13-song album called Dark Night Of The Soul that features, among others, David Lynch, The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas, Iggy Pop, Frank Black and The Flaming Lips‘ Wayne Coyne.

Now, as revealed to NME, the album has a full track listing, release date (or approximate at least) and some special packaging.

Dark Night Of The Soul will be released sometime in June and will come packaged with a book of David Lynch photographs to accompany the music. It will retail at £38.99 (so, like twice as much in the U.S.) and be limited to 5,000 copies. And get this — there are no plans to release the album as a legal download or on any other formats. We assume that means the physical release will be on wax (or better be).

An exhibition will run in the Los Angeles Michael Kohn Gallery from May 30, showcasing the photographs alongside the music. Danger Mouse is also producing Beck’s follow-up to his 2006 album The Information.

Dark Night Of The Soul track listing
01. Revenge (featuring The Flaming Lips)
02. Just War (featuring Gruff Rhys)
03. Jaykub (featuring Jason Lytle)
04. Little Girl (featuring Julian Casablancas)
05. Angel’s Harp (featuring Frank Black)
06. Pain (featuring Iggy Pop)
07. Star Eyes (I Can’t Catch It) (featuring David Lynch)
08. Everytime I’m With You (featuring Jason Lytle)
09. Insane Lullaby (featuring James Mercer of The Shins)
10. Daddy’s Gone (featuring Nina Persson)
11. The Man Who Played God (featuring Suzanne Vega)
12. Grim Augury (featuring Vic Chestnutt)
13. Dark Night Of The Soul (featuring David Lynch)

Danger Mouse and Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse announced almost three years ago that they would be working together on a new collaborative project, but as of yesterday, when a poster for the project was delivered to our offices, it looks like the duo of “Dangerhorse” are engaging a wide spectrum of talent to help out on the new record.

Dark Night of the Soul is set to come out this summer, and though no further information on the album has been offered, the list of special guests — released only via the poster — makes the new project look like it could be one of the most eclectic collaborations we’ve seen in a long while.

Featuring Black Francis, Julian Casablancas, The Flaming Lips, Iggy Pop, David Lynch, and James Mercer, among a bunch of others, Dark Night of the Soul is bound to offer us an immense amount of ear-candy come the summer. And lets face it, who needs supergroups like Chickenfoot when you’ve got the likes of Dangerhorse giving you all of this and more on one awesome album?

Full list of guests on Dark Night of the Soul
Black Francis (Frank Black)

Julian Casablancas (The Strokes)

Vic Chestnutt

The Flaming Lips

David Lynch

Jason Lytle (Grandaddy)
James Mercer (The Shins)

Nina Persson (The Cardigans/A Camp)

Iggy Pop
Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals/Neon Neon)
Suzanne Vega